Smashing Pumpkins

[Mr.Whippy]

I agree that there were some highlights like the ones you mentioned, but the last 40 min or so just ruined it for me.  I hate the long drawn out pointless Heavy Metal Machine, and the Pink Floyd cover was interesting but way too long to sustain the interest in my opinion.  
 
 Then, after that to end with a really pointless encore segment.

[Darth Ed]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnmRV79cWtM

[saintangelsin]

I think the issue it seems people are having with these gigs is that so many fans are going for nostalgia reasons which is perfectly understandable, but everyone should also be going because they love the music and want to hear whatever Corgan has to offer.
 
 I watched the trailers to the DVD that is coming out soon (Thanks Ed for posting that link) and Billy even said that he reunited the band for the sake of art, which is probably why he's jamming things out a bit. He's doing that for fun and to test the audience. I think a lot of fans have become too comfortable with the whole concept and sound of what the Pumpkins are suppose to be. this also explains the resentment some fans have with James and D'arcy being replaced. I'll admit I can be like that at times, because for years all I had was their cds and music videos, but essentially the Pumpkins as a band is Billy Corgan's band much like how the Cure is Robert Smith's band.
 
 When I saw the pumpkins back in 2007 at Virgin Festival, I only had two expectations which was to hear "Tonight, Tonight" and "Today" aside from that I had no expectations. I think because of that, the concert didn't feel nostalgic. Not to mention, I was holding the attitude of "finally I am seeing one of my favorite bands." I never thought it was a blast from the past just because the band was suddenly active again. Though I don't listen to the Pumpkins religiously, I do listen to them a lot. They are a part of my past as much as my current life. Their older albums still sound current and not outdated. I still get excited about the idea of new material even if it's stuff that I might not be crazy about.  
 
 On a side note, I'm a die-hard STP fan and Oddly enough, seeing them at V-fest this year totally felt like a blast from the past. This was weird to me especially since I've seen them live before back in 2000. I get the feeling the reason it felt like a blast from the past is because I hadn't listen to them on a good basis since 2002 or 2003. Go figure?!
 
 A similar case study to the Pumpkins in my mind would either be Depeche Mode or Nine Inch Nails. Two bands who have fallen off the face of the earth at times and have come back and have been rather active lately. Though they have to please their fans by playing (some) hits, both seem to throw other things in their sets to shake things up a bit. And if you're a pretty good fan of either, you're a good sport about the whole thing even songs that you aren't crazy about from their recent albums.
 
 Needless to say, it'll be interesting  to see how the crowd is for Wednesday night's show. I'm quite excited!
 
 ps- How was Eye live??? I was wondering about that. Eye and The End is the Beginning were the two songs I've never heard live from tonight's set. If I was super wealthy and not busy with school work, those two songs would've been the reason I'd come out. (well those songs and Today and the other hits they played tonight...)

[Mr.Whippy]

For me it is not an issue of wanting the nostalgia or for them to play the hits, I just want good music.  I've seen the Pumpkins many times starting in 1992.  I've seen them play most every song in their catalog already and don't have expectations on what I have to hear anymore when I go into a show.  
 
 I'm happy to hear them play new stuff if it is good, but the wankery tonight was just way too much.  And that's coming from someone who usually loves their wankery.
 
 Both Eye and The End... were really good.  My highlight might have been Siva, which is commonly played, but had really long jam in it which was focused and went somewhere, unlike the whole last segment of the show.

[saintangelsin]

Oh I wasn't saying you in particular. I meant the casual fans and all the people who have asked me why on earth am I going to see the Pumpkins. One guy was like "you're just going to ruin your childhood memories of that band..." How awful right?
 
 Anyhow...I understand what you mean about being peeved by 20 minutes of jamming in a song that seems to go nowhere or has no real purpose. (A good jam session has some sort of focus like you mentioned with the one song they did tonight)
 
 Wanking off is wanking off no matter who you are as a musician. Hell last year when I saw Ryan Adams (which was a great show for the most part) I got mad at him and his band for just doing this pointless jamming for like 20 minutes. He could've played more songs or something during that time. I just remember sitting there thinking "Okay this sounds cool, but finish the damn song already!"
 
 By the way, I'm quite jealous that you've seen them so many times throughout the years. And I'm glad to hear that Eye and The End were good live. I'm excited to hear how "Ava Adore" is going to translate live with all the electronics and stuff.

[serpent boy]

Pretty accurate review, Darth Ed. The audience was definitely lame and full of significant others dragged out to the show. I was honestly expecting to see a crowd full of hardcore fans like in Asheville; instead, everyone around me (7th row left side) sat for half the show and only got excited for the hits. I'm glad they got to enjoy what they came for, but it just wasn't the type of audience I anticipated.
 
 Corgan's passive-aggressiveness is unrivaled. Just before "Today" when he asked everyone to keep relaxing in their seats was classic Billy. He seemed to open up more toward the end of the evening; "Everything is Beautiful" was actually enjoyable and not a stab at the audience like in NYC.
 
 My highlights were "Transformer" into "Superchrist" into "United States." (Wow!) and the extended "Heavy Metal Machine" with a Rush medley.
 
 

Originally posted by Darth Ed:
  The band? No. He's certainly willing to challenge his audience, however, and perhaps deservedly so. Lousy audience at the DAR tonight. A lot of people there who obviously hadn't been to a concert in years or who were there just because their S.O. likes the Pumpkins. Anyway, I had a good time. I agree that night #2 probably has the better of the two set lists, but there were plenty of highlights in tonight's show, such as "Siva", "Tonight, Tonight", "United States", "Today", "Bullets with Butterfly Wings", and especially "The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning", which is a personal favorite that I hadn't heard live before. I loved every minute of "United States". I still think that song kicks ass. I thought "Set the Controls" was kind of cool in an experimental way. Jimmy Chamberlin is better than ever. I like the way he uses cymbals sparingly, and he thumps those snares with conviction.

[Mr.Whippy]

I agree with what people said about the crowd being lame.  Thing is, though, I think Billy really brings that out in people.
 
 I saw every Pumpkins tour from 1992 to 2000, most of them several times, and the crowds were always awful.  I have the utmost respect for Billy as a musician, but he obviously an ass of a person, and that follows him around and gets reflected back to him.
 
 It was very interesting to contrast the crowd last night with the crowd the night before at DAR for Kings of Leon.  I'm not comparing the bands at all and I have way more respect for the Pumpkins, but KOL came off as very humble, knew how to energize a crowd, and seemed very bowled over by how much the crowd was giving back to them.  
 
 I don't think that all these people at the Pumpkins show that seemed bored were going just for the hits.  I'm sure most of these people would have been excited for any good song picks from the great Pumpkins records, more things like Mayonnaise, which got a good crowd response.  At the KOL show, many of the deep album tracks got as big of a reaction as the hits, I'm sure the Pumpkins crowd is not that different in that people are going to know the main records.

[MindCage]

I definitely dug the Rush medley. They could have been fine with just Tom Sawyer but nope, Jimmy had take it up a notch with the little YYZ action! awesome!
 
 Was excited with "Drown" "The Beginning is the End.." and "Siva" Even the goofing fun of "Geek USA" was nice, but damn wish they would have rocked it out or "Silverfuck" "Cherub Rock" or "I Am One" (I'm sure those last two will be played tonight)
 
 
 I think I realize why I don't like shows at DAR, people just don't get into the shows. They sit in their seat or they just stand there. One guy kept yelling at anyone blocking his view, and even yelled at an usher for standing at her post because he wanted to sit in his seat and watch. Funny...he even got kinda mad when people finally got to the seats in front of him so he couldn't put his legs up. Jackass.
 
 Definitely could have been about 10db louder I thought...
 
 
 MindCage
 Mindless Faith
 Deep6 Productions

[Mr.Whippy]

Originally posted by MindCage:
 
 I think I realize why I don't like shows at DAR, people just don't get into the shows. They sit in their seat or they just stand there. [/URL]

Again, you should have seen the crowd for Kings of Leon.  That was probably the most energy I've ever seen in DAR, or tied with Arcade Fire.  The whole place was on its feet the whole time, even the upper sections.  It is possible to get that in DAR, it's just that the band needs to bring it.

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

What is so wrong with wanting to sit or stand and simply enjoy the music? It's an artistic performance, not a football game.
 
 

Originally posted by MindCage:
 [QB]
 
 
 I think I realize why I don't like shows at DAR, people just don't get into the shows. They sit in their seat or they just stand there. One guy kept yelling at anyone blocking his view, and even yelled at an usher for standing at her post because he wanted to sit in his seat and watch. Funny...he even got kinda mad when people finally got to the seats in front of him so he couldn't put his legs up. Jackass.
 
 
 [

[walkonby]

my highlight of the show was the guy about five or seven seats from me in right row o.  towards the end of the evening, when billy banged on the big drums, he obviously became enraged with the show and began screaming interesting comments/reviews such as "nice animal music, faggot," and "no homos", "you suck, you suck," plus "i used to think you were good, but now you suck."  
 
 and i saw thatguy and mad gypsy doing security, plus the two guys at the 930 table, but i don't know who they are.

[serpent boy]

There's a difference between sitting down to enjoy the music, which I find nice once in a while (Eddie Vedder show, for example), and being absolutely disinterested in the show. The people in my section complained about not knowing any of the songs and turned to me to say, "What the fuck is this one?! C'mon, Billy!"
 
 It was more about the lack of energy and enthusiasm from the crowd than the fact that they were sitting. I see how "Set the Controls" or "Speed Kills" or the acoustic set can be offputting for a casual fan, but how do you complain about "Eye" or "United States"?
 
 

Originally posted by Charlie Nakatestes,Japanese Golfer:
  What is so wrong with wanting to sit or stand and simply enjoy the music? It's an artistic performance, not a football game.
 
 

Originally posted by MindCage:
 [QB]
 
 
 I think I realize why I don't like shows at DAR, people just don't get into the shows. They sit in their seat or they just stand there. One guy kept yelling at anyone blocking his view, and even yelled at an usher for standing at her post because he wanted to sit in his seat and watch. Funny...he even got kinda mad when people finally got to the seats in front of him so he couldn't put his legs up. Jackass.
 
 
 [ [/b]

[serpent boy]

Who else heard the guy screaming "BILLY, WE CAME FROM DALLAS, TEXAS!!!" all night?

[MindCage]

Originally posted by serpent boy:
  There's a difference between sitting down to enjoy the music, which I find nice once in a while (Eddie Vedder show, for example), and being absolutely disinterested in the show. The people in my section complained about not knowing any of the songs and turned to me to say, "What the fuck is this one?! C'mon, Billy!"
 
 It was more about the lack of energy and enthusiasm from the crowd than the fact that they were sitting. I see how "Set the Controls" or "Speed Kills" or the acoustic set can be offputting for a casual fan, but how do you complain about "Eye" or "United States"?
 

Exactly. People weren't into the show that were fans, just "I like the hits I've heard on the radio" types.  If you are Pumpkins fan, then you know that the little jams they do in the middle of songs or extending out them is part of what they do. Just like other 90s bands, like Pearl Jam.
 
 I sure out of all the people saying the show sucked they wanted their setlist to be
 
 Today
 Disarm
 1979
 Tarantula
 Bullet With Butterfly Wings
 Ava Adore
 Stars
 United States
 Drown
 Tonight, Tonight
 
 thank you goodnight DC! woo hoo
 
 I think Josh kinda stuck out just a bit 3 rows deep on the left side all night with people being afraid to be around him.  I didn't see that guy with the goatee behind though...
 
 
 MindCage
 Mindless Faith
 Deep6 Productions

[Mr.Whippy]

Originally posted by serpent boy:
  Who else heard the guy screaming "BILLY, WE CAME FROM DALLAS, TEXAS!!!" all night?

Me, I was very close to that dude, very funny.  At least he would wait until inbetween songs.  There was another dude in the vicinity who for much of the show was screaming his head off during the music.  Maybe he stopped eventually because he got bored like everyone else.